EC Council of Ministers (Hansard, 7 June 1993)

§ Mr. Garel-Jones

The following meetings are planned:

1 June:—Employment and Social Affairs
1–2 June:—Trevi Meeting/Meetings of Ministers for Immigration
7 June:—ECOFIN
7–8 June:—Transport
8 June:—Foreign Affairs Council
11 June:—Education
14 June:—Internal Market
15 June:—Agriculture
16 June:—Telecommunications
24–26 June:—Fisheries
25–26 June:—Energy
28–29 June:—Environment
30 June:—Research

The following subjects are likely to be discussed:— (a) Employment and Social Affairs—1 June

Proposal for a directive on fishing vessels (5680/93)
Proposal for a recommendation on access to continuing vocational training (6671/93)
Proposal for a directive on European works council (4466/91); 8319/91)
Proposal for a directive on the organisation of working time (8145/92; 4384/93)
Proposal for a directive on the protection of young people at work (4690/93; 6346/93)

(b) Trevi Meeting/Meetings of Ministers for Immigration, 1–2 June Report to European Council on free movement of people Various immigration and asylum matters 'Europol' (c) ECOFIN—7 June (Provisional)

Approval of the provisional agenda (Possibly) Approval of the list of 'A' items
Economic recovery and convergence programmes
Proposal for a Council Directive on deposit guarantee schemes (0) (Legal Basis: EEC Treaty—Article 57)
Inter-institutional Agreement on Budgetary Discipline
Fraud against the Community budget
Commission's report on the Fight against Fraud in 1992
Relations with Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union
euratom loans
Community guarantee to the EIB against losses under loans for projects in Albania (0)
(legal basis: EEC Treaty—Article 235)
CO₂/energy tax
7th VAT Directive
Withholding tax on interest and royalties (0)
(Legal basis: EEC Treaty—Article 100)

(d) Transport—7–8 June

Transport Infrastructure Regulation (8065/92 Trans 99, 10437/92 Trans 163)
White Paper on Common Transport Policy (11011/92 Trans 181 MAR 77 AER 80)
Aviation External Relations (5080/90 AER 16, 4146/93 AER 1)
(Aviation) Computerised Reservations Systems (4236/93 AER 3)
Relations with Switzerland (Commission Report)
Trans-European Networks: (A) Combined Transport
Network; 8066/92 Trans 100, Annex 2, (B) Road
Network: 8065/92 Trans 99, Part IV (C) Inland
Waterways Network: 8065/92 Trans 99, Part V
Land Transport: (A) Road Transport Taxation; 4227/88
Trans 10 Fisc 9, 4714/92 Fisc 17 Trans 21, 9656/92 Fisc
171 Trans 138, (B) Road Haulage Cabotage; 10083/91
Trans 197, 7662/92 Trans 95, 10881/92 Trans 180, (C)
Transport from and towards Greece
Maritime Transport: (A) Maritime Safety; 5038/93 Mar 16 Env 57, 4390/93 PV/Cons 3 Trans 5 Env 25, (B) (Poss) Presentation of Commission proposals: (I) Classification societies; (II) Minimum level of education for the maritime professions.

Any Other Business

Road Safety (presentation of the Commission Communication)
Technical Harmonisation of Community Railways (Commission Statement)
Promotion of Combined Transport (Commission Statement)
Application of Rules of Competition to Maritime Transport (Statement by the German delegation)
Application of Regulation (EEC) No. 4055/86 (Statement by the United Kingdom delegation)
State Aid for Civil Aviation (Contribution by the Commission)

(e) Foreign Affairs Council—8 June

Relations with the European Parliament:
Preparation of proposed Inter-institutional meeting Access to information:
Second Commission Communication
Structural Funds
Enlargement negotiations:
Preparation for four ministerial meetings
Relations with Central and Eastern Europe
Relations with Russia
Ex-Yugoslavia
Trade policy questions
EC/Korea relations:
Commission Communication
Preparation of European Council, 21–22 June

(f) Education—11 June

Educational initiatives in Favour of Involving All Young People in Working and Social Life
Guidelines for Community Action in the Field of Education and Training
Furthering an Open European Space in Higher Education
Draft Resolution of the Council on Vocational Education and Training in the 1990s
Long-term possibilities for reform of the European Schools
Responses to the HE and Vocational Training Memoranda
Working Group on HE Quality Assessment
Development of Pilot EC/US co-operation in HE
Proposed European Week for Scientific Culture

(g) Internal Market Council—14 June Agenda unavailable (h) Agriculture—14–15 June

(Poss) Price fixing (Corn 93/36)
(Poss) Milk quotas—SLOM 111
(Poss) Potatoes (10483/92; 6736/93)
(Poss) Sugar (4632/93; 6403/93)
(Poss) Non-Rotational set-aside (6744/93; 6745/93)
(Poss) Cereal Standard Quality (5404/93; 6546/93)
(Poss) Spain, Greece, Italy Milk Quotas (5404/93; 6546/93)
GATT—Agricultural (5813/93; 6612/93)
(Poss) Plant breeders rights
(Poss) Minced Meat

(i) Telecommunications—16 June

HDTV (COM(92) 154 FINAL)
Telecommunications liberalization (COM(93) 159 FINAL)
Postal Services Green Paper (COM(91) 476 FINAL)
Satellite Earth Station Equipment Directive (COM(29) 451 FINAL)

(j) Fisheries—5 June

Control system for the Commons Fisheries Policy (9019/92)
EC Fisheries Agreement with Argentina
Spanish/Portuguese Accession (4158/93)
Harmonised technical conversation measures in the Mediterranean (11229/92)
EC negotiating mandate with the Russian Federation

(k) Energy—25 June

Save energy efficiency directive (Adoption) (7847/92)
Altemer new and renewables programme (Adoption) (7757/92)
Directives on the liberalisation of Electricity and Gas (Debate) (4911/92)
Hydrocarbons licensing directive (6566/92, 4180/93) Nuclear safety and energy supply in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union (Council Conclusions)
Coal state aid (Discussion) (4669/93)
Energy Charter (Discussion)

(l) Environment—28–29 June

Hazardous Waste Incineration Directive—5761/92
Volatile Organic Compounds (Stage 1) Directive—5348/92
Directive on CO₂ Emissions from Cars
CITES Regulation—10500/91
Carbon/Energy Tax—7018/92
Emissions from Motor Vehicles Directive—4437/93
Ratification of the Biodiversity Convention—4593/93
Revisions to the Birds Directive—5185/91

(m) Research—30 June

Fourth RND Framework Programme (Inc Management) (Poss) Technology Initiative for Disable and Elderly People
(Poss) EC Statistics

A formal meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council is planned for Tuesday 1 June. The agenda has not yet been finalised, but the directives on working time, fishing vessels, Protection of Young Workers and European Works Councils are likely to be discussed. Further possible agenda items include the recommendation on access to training and the resolution on flexible retirement. There may also be a discussion of a Commission initiative on employment. The Trevi Meeting/Meetings of Ministers for Immigration will take place on 1–2 June and will discuss the report to the European Council on free movement of people. Ministers will also discuss various immigration and asylum matters as well as "EUROPOL". The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 7 June to discuss action to promote economic recovery in Europe consistent with the conclusions of the Edinburgh European Council. Discussion will also take place on the United Kingdom convergence programme; the inter-institutional agreement on budget discipline; matters relating to Community action to combat fraud against the Community Budget; and carbon/energy tax. The Council may consider the directive concerning the Commission's proposals for an EC cross-boarder interest and royalty payments; Euratom loans for nuclear power stations in the former Soviet union; EIB lending to Albania; and the proposal for a council directive on deposit guarantee schemes. The proposal to amend the 7th VAT Directive (Special VAT regime for second-hand goods, works of art, antique and collectors' items) may be discussed at this meeitng. The Transport Council on 7/8 June will discuss a full and wide ranging agenda. Ministers will be keen to reach agreement on the Transport Infrastructure Regulation after the European Parliament invoked the "conciliation procedure". They will also wish to make further progress on the complex negotiations on Road Haulage Cabotage and Road Transport Taxation. Other issues will include: 'aviation external relations'; 'computer reservation systems'; the 'white paper on common transport policy'; 'relations with Switzerland'; 'Trans-European Networks—Combined Transport/Road/Inland waterways'; 'transport to and from Greece—prompted by the troubles in the former Yugoslavia'; and 'maritime safety'. In addition they may discuss the Commission proposals on 'classification societies' and 'minimum levels of education for the maritime professions'. Under other business the Commission will be presenting statements on: 'road safety'; 'technical harmonisation of Community railways'; the 'promotion of combined transport'; and 'state aid for civil aviation'. Finally the German delegation will be making a statement on the 'application of competition to maritime transport' and the UK delegation on the 'application of Regulation 4055/86. The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 8 June and will discuss Relations with the European Parliament, Preparation of the proposed Inter-Institutional meeting and Second Commission Communication on access to Information. Ministers will also discuss Structural Funds and Enlargement Negotiations; Preparation for four Ministerial meetings. Relations with Central and Eastern Europe, Relations with Russia and the Ex-Yugoslavia will also be discussed. Trade Policy Questions, EC/Korea Relations: Commission Communication and Preparation of European Council on 21–22 June are also scheduled for discussion. The Education Council will be meeting on 11 June. Ministers will discuss Educational Initiatives involving young people in working and social life, guidelines for Community action in the field of education and training and about furthering an open European Space in Higher Education. Also down for discussion are the Draft Resolution of the Council on Vocational Education and Training in the 1990's, the long term possibilities for reform of the European Schools and responses to the HE and Vocational Training Memoranda. Finally Ministers will also discuss the Working 93W Group on HE Quality Assessment, Development of Pilot EC/US cooperation in HE and the proposed European Week for Scientific Culture. The Internal Market Council will meet on 14 June. No Agenda has yet been set for this meeting. The Agriculture Council will meet on 14–15 June. Ministers will discuss the agricultural aspects of the GATT negotiations. They may also discuss the 1993–94 price-fixing proposals; milk quotas (SLOM III); Review of the potato regime; sugar; set-aside; Spanish, Italian and Greek milk quotas; plant breeders' rights and minced meat. The Telecommunications Council will meet on 16 June to discuss HDTV, Telecommunications Liberalisation, Postal Services Green Paper and the Satellite Earth Station Equipment Directive. The Fisheries Council will meet on 24 June. Ministers may discuss the proposed control and enforcement regulation; EC Fisheries Agreement with Argentina; review of the accession arrangements applicable to Spain and Portugal; proposed harmonised technical conservation measures in the Mediterranean and the possible Commission negotiating mandate with the Russian Federation. The Energy Council will meet on 25 June. Ministers will discuss the harmonisation of hydrocarbons licensing regimes, liberalisation of natural gas and electricity markets, coal state aids, nuclear safety and energy supply in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, and the European Energy Charter. Ministers are expected to adopt the SAVE directive on energy efficiency and the Altener decision on new and renewable energy sources. The Environment Council will meet on 28–29 June. The Council may reach agreement on the directives on hazardous waste incineration, volatile organic compounds (Stage 1), emissions from motor vehicles and the decision on ratification of the Biodiversity Convention. Progress reports may be presented on revisions to the CITES Regulation, follow up to UNCED and proposals for a Carbon/Energy Tax. Discussions may also cover revisions to the Birds Directive, CO₂ emissions from cars and, possibly, implementation of the Montreal Protocol as regards sCFCs and methyl bromide.